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News 9 tests the water at three private wells in three different towns

The water contamination crisis in New Hampshire continues to grow, with the potentially harmful chemical PFOA found last week at high levels in yet another community's drinking water.There are still more questions than answers when it comes to the chemical contaminant, as many Granite Staters are testing their own private wells.

News 9 tests the water at three private wells in three different towns

The water contamination crisis in New Hampshire continues to grow, with the potentially harmful chemical PFOA found last week at high levels in yet another community's drinking water.There are still more questions than answers when it comes to the chemical contaminant, as many Granite Staters are testing their own private wells.

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Updated: 12:57 AM EDT May 16, 2016

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WEBVTT STEPHANIE: NEWS 9 INVESTIAGATES THE WATER CONTAMINATION CRISIS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE CONTINUES TO GROW, WITH THE POTENTIAL HARMFUL CHEMICAL PFOA FOUND LAST WEEK AT HIGH LEVELS IN YET ANOTHER COMMUNITY'S DRINKING WATER. THERE ARE STILL MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS WHEN IT COMES T PFOA. MANY GRANITE STATERS ARE TESTING THEIR OWN PRIVATE WELLS. WMUR'S ADAM SEXTON SHOWS US THE TESTING PROCESS IN TONIGHT'S SPECIAL REPORT ADAM: WHEN YOU TURN ON THE TAP AND YOU EXPECT YOUR WATER TO BE CLEAN. BUT THE EXPANDING PFOA CONTAMINATION ISSUE IN SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE HAS MANY QUESTIONING THE BASIC SSUMPTION THAT THEIR WATER IS SAFE TO DRINK. AT NELSON ANALYTICAL LAB IN MANCHESTER WATER TESTING EXPERT ANDREW NELSON SAYS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IS THE LACK OF DEFINITIVE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW MUCH PFOA IS SAFE TO CONSUM >> NOBODY REALLY KNOWS ADAM: NELSON'S LAB IS ONE OF 5 NEW HAMPSHIRE COMPANIES LISTED BY THE STATE THAT PROVIDE PFOA TESTING BUT THIS IS SUCH A NEW FRONTIER THAT NELSON HAS TO OUTSOURCE THE ACTUAL LAB WORK. >> THERE IS ONLY A HANDFUL OF LABS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY PFOA. THAT ARE PROVIDING TESTING FOR -- THE COUNTRY THAT ARE PROVIDING TESTING FOR PFOA. ADAM: EACH TEST COSTS $200 DOLLARS, BUT THE PROCESS OF GATHERING SAMPLES IS RELATIVELY EASY, NEWS 9 TESTED THREE PRIVATE WELLS IN PROXIMITY TO THE SAINT-GOBAIN FACILITY IN MERRIMACK, ONE WELL IN BEDFORD TWO MILES NORTHWEST OF THE PLANT AND ANOTHER FIVE MILES AWAY IN LONDONDERRY AND IF THIRD AT THE EDGE OF THE 1.5 MILE TESTING RADIUS OF LITCHFIELD WHICH IS THE HOME OF THE LONDONDERRY TOWN MANAGER KEVIN SMITH. KEVIN: I HAVE CONCERNS BOTH ON THE PROFESSIONAL SIDE AND ON THE PERSONAL SIDE AS WEL ADAM: WE HAD SMITH COLLECT A SAMPLE LAST MONTH. THIS ISSUE IS A PRIORITY FOR HIM BECAUSE TESTING IS BEING DONE IN LONDONDERRY WHERE HE IS TOWN MANAGER AND IN HIS OWN NEIGHBORHOOD. HIS FAMILY ALREADY DRINKS BOTTLED WATER. KEVIN: BUT STILL YOU HAVE THAT CONCERN BECAUSE YOU COOK WITH IT, YOU BATHE WITH IT, YOU BRUSH YOUR TEETH WITHOUT WATER. ADAM: SMITH ISN'T SURE WHAT TO EXPECT HIS NEIGHBORHOOD IS A MOSAIC OF VARYING TEST RESULTS. THE STATE PROVIDES BOTTLED WATER WHEN WELLS TEST ABOVE 100 PART PER TRILLION FOR PFOA. BUT HERE EVERYONE GETS IT THIS PART OF LITCHFIELD BECAUSE THE CONTAMINATION IS SO RANDOM. ONE NEIGHBOR'S WELL CAME BACK AT 160 PAR PER TRILLION RIGHT NEXT-DOOR TESTED AT 25 PARTS PER TRILLION. THE EXPERTS SAY THAT'S A FACTOR OF THE AIR DISPERSION OF P-F-O-A -- PFOA FROM SAINT-GOBAI KEVIN: WITH PRIVATE WELLS EVERY PRIVATE WELL COULD B DIFFERENT, ONE TO THE NEXT. ADAM: OFFICIALS WERE TOLD THAT 86% OF THIS WAS BORN OFF IN PRODUCTION AND THAT MEANS THAT 220 POUNDS WOULD BE LEFT OVER, SOME OF IT BLASTED OUT OF STACKS AS PFOA, LANDING FOR YEARS OR OF FACILITIES. FOR OUR SAMPLING, EXPEDITED TEST RESULTS CAME BACK IN ONE WEEK. BEDFORD PRIVATE WEALTH -- WELL TWO MILES FROM SAINT-GOBAIN HAD FIVE PARTS PER TRILLION, AND THE LONDONDERRY WELL FIVE MILES AWAY HAD 10 PARTS PER TRILLION. AND KEVIN SMITH'S WELL HAD THE LOWEST RESULT AT 3 PARTS PER TRILLION KEVIN: IT WAS GOOD TO SEE THAT STILL OBVIOUSLY MONITORING LONDONDERRY AND HOPING THE TESTS ON THE WELLS COME BACK LOW IN LONDONDERRY. ADAM: WITH DES EXPANDING ITS INVESTIGATION TO OTHER LOCATIONS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE AROUN FACILITIES THAT USED PFOA, MORE WELL OWNERS ARE LIKELY TO BE STOPPING BY NELSON ANALYTICAL TO PICK UP TEST KITS.

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News 9 tests the water at three private wells in three different towns

The water contamination crisis in New Hampshire continues to grow, with the potentially harmful chemical PFOA found last week at high levels in yet another community's drinking water.There are still more questions than answers when it comes to the chemical contaminant, as many Granite Staters are testing their own private wells.